


Damaged

by Kittyswriting



Series: Stony Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt Tony, M/M, Protective Steve, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony has heart problems, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 10:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4387460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittyswriting/pseuds/Kittyswriting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Can you write a story where Tony is having heart problems again even after the shrapnel and arc reactor is removed, like he needs a pacemaker or something please? :)</p>
<p>Steve is worried about Tony after the doctor tells them Tony needs a pacemaker. Tony being Tony decides to build something better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damaged

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Okay this is for Ashley, who left me a comment on my last Stony fic. I hope she likes it and if not than I'm really sorry.

Tony had thought that with Extremis he'd be able to have the reactor removed safely. But it didn't quite work out that way. Even with it Tony's heart was too badly damaged, it only got worse when he had Extremis removed. The chest pains were almost constant, eventually he started developing arrhythmia and when that happened Steve put his foot down about Tony going out on missions until he went to a doctor to have it checked out.  
  
Tony wanted to be mad at him for that but he couldn't. He knew if the tables were turned and it was Steve in his position he would do the same, but that didn't mean he had to like it.  
  
He hated it even more when he got back from the doctor. The tests did not give Tony the answers he was hoping for. He had hoped it would be a quick fix and Steve had been overreacting about it.  
  
But since when was Tony Stark ever that lucky? The universe seemed to love giving him mountain after mountain to try and climb. It was like he could never be happy for long before tragedy struck. Part of him wondered if this was karma's way of getting him back for all those years he had produced war propaganda.  
  
"It really isn't that bad Tony." Steve said gently sitting down next to his boyfriend.  
  
"How can you say that?" Tony asked his voice barely above a whisper. How could Steve even think that this wasn't a disaster?  
  
"Because I almost lost you, I'm losing you right now. I can't Tony, not you so if the alternative is a pacemaker than that's something I'll gladly take."  
  
"You're not losing me! I'm just....My chest just hurts a little." Tony said, although it sounded weak even to his ears.  
  
"Tony... You know that's not true. Your chest hurts you all the time, sometimes you can't even sleep or move because it's that bad. You heard the doctor, your heart needs this or else things are going to get worse. Why does this bother you so much?" Steve asked gently taking one of Tony's hands and intertwining their fingers.  
  
"It just....makes me feel old. Like a pacemaker? I already feel like the weakest one on the team sometimes , the others don't have the kind of health problems I have and I just hate it." Tony said sighing.  
  
"It doesn't make you old, plenty of people younger than you have to have a pacemaker. But I get it, I really do Tony. Remember I wasn't always the epitome of human perfection? I was once the sickly kid that people didn't want to do anything because they thought I would break. Even Bucky tried to stop me, he never succeeded because I was a stubborn kid but he tried." Steve said wrapping an arm around Tony's shoulder bringing him closer as his other hand still held Tony's hand.  
  
"Why do you always know exactly what to say?" Tony asked smiling a little.  
  
"Because I know you, we've been together a long time. I know you hate feeling weak, but you have to realize that this doesn't make you weak. It makes you strong, you've gone through a lot Tony and you keep fighting. The pacemaker is going to help you." Steve said softly.  
  
It was then that Tony got an idea, a genius idea.  
  
"No. I know that look Tony, just no." Steve said sighing.  
  
"What? I'm not doing anything." Tony said suddenly perking up.  
  
"Tony." Steve leveled Tony with a look, knowing that his boyfriend was planning something which worried him.  
  
"Steve I could make something better."  
  
And there it was. Steve should have known Tony wouldn't just be able to have a pacemaker, he'd have to make something better. This was such a Tony Stark thing that he should have been expecting it, this was the same man that gave an AI to a toaster. "What's your plan?"  
  
"I knew you'd support me. The pacemaker is great really but I'm sure I can improve it, make it a bit less noticeable. Besides if this works than it'll help a lot of people." Tony said already thinking of designs and ways to make improvements.  
  
And how do you say no to that? "I know it will. Just please no AI's? Remember the toaster incident?" Steve knew that Tony had a point, if he could improve on the pacemaker than it would help people all over the world.  
  
"Okay, no Artificial Intelligences, and you promised not to bring that up again. I'm sure it would have worked I just needed to-"  
  
"Tony." Steve interrupted with a look of disapproval.  
  
"I love you, you know that right? I think you're one of the few people that doesn't make me feel crazy for having these ideas." Tony said leaning over to kiss Steve softly.  
  
"I love you too. I'll always support you Tony, but please get a pacemaker until you can make this thing? I need you out there with me, and I need to know you're perfectly healthy. I can't watch you be in that much pain and not being able to do anything about it." Steve said softly.  
  
Tony could see the worry in Steve's eyes, he knew that this whole thing had been just as hard on Steve as it was on him. "Okay, I'll talk to the doctor about getting it fitted. But we're doing it here, in the tower's medical wing." He knew the doctor would want him in as soon as possible. He had wanted Tony admitted to the hospital as soon as the appointment was over, but he refused.  
  
Tony wasn't dumb, he had all the equipment he would need in the tower. He spent enough money making sure the medical wing was state of the art. Besides here he had control, he could see Steve whenever he wanted and he hand picked all the staff in his own medical wing. He trusted them more than some random doctors in a random hospital.  
  
"Okay Tony. If you're more comfortable having it here than we can, but you're getting it done as soon as possible." Steve said sternly, or as sternly as Steve could do.  
  
"That sounds good to me. Although I do love it when you get protective." He said with a grin moving his hands so they were around Steve's shoulders.  
  
"Is that why you get in trouble so much?" Steve said teasing slightly.  
  
"No, trouble just has a way of finding me."  
  
"No offense baby, but you don't make it hard for it to find you." Steve said sighing softly.  
  
"Hey, you're not exactly mister innocent either, and don't use the serum as an excuse." Tony smirked and moved so he was sat on Steve's lap.  
  
"Tony, what are you doing?"  
  
"I thought that part was obvious I'm sitting on your lap." Tony said his hands running up and down Steve's chest.  
  
"Tony we can't." Steve said reluctantly.  
  
"I'm not doing anything Steve."  
  
"You know what you're doing, remember what the doctor said?" Steve said sounding worried. One of these days he was sure Tony was going to give him a heart attack.  
  
"I'm a genius of course I remember what he said." Tony said leaning down to kiss Steve, the kiss was passionate and all tongues.  
  
Steve groaned as he ended the kiss. "Then you remember what he said about not doing anything that put too much strain on your heart. That includes sex."  
  
"Who said anything about sex? This is at most some heavy making out." Tony said trying to get back to the kissing.  
  
"Tony, you know what I mean. Please, you need to be more careful." Steve said gently.  
  
"Steve, I had my chest opened up in a desert while I was awake and had a portion of my lungs removed so they could hook me up to a car battery. I'm use to pain, I'm more than use to pain. I didn't let that stop me before and I won't let it stop me now. I want to make out with my boyfriend and I don't care what my heart has to say about it." Tony said before placing his lips back on Steve's for a much softer kiss.  
  
Steve kissed back his arms wrapping round Tony's waist holding him in a protective hold. When the kiss broke Steve looked up at Tony and brushed some of the hair out of his eyes. "I love you, I love you so much Tony. I just want to be careful, you shouldn't be use to pain. The doctor said not to do anything that could cause your heart to beat too fast, I just want you to be safe."  
  
Tony sighed knowing when he was beaten. "Okay, I can see my usual ways of convincing you aren't going to work. I suppose I can wait a day until I get this stupid thing, than I can enjoy you to the fullest and work on my new pacemaker. I'm definitely going to change the name though, Pacemaker just isn't exciting enough."  
  
Steve had that look of both fondness and exasperation. "Sure baby, whatever you want." He said kissing Tony's cheek.  
  
Tony grinned and rested his head on Steve's shoulder. He knew that Steve would come around, especially when he saw the ideas that Tony had to make this thing better. Plus despite his slightly selfish reasons for making it he knew that it really would help a lot of people.  
  
He'd talk to Bruce in the morning about helping him with the Iron heart prototype, which had a far superior name than pacemaker. But for now he had a super soldier to wine and dine, after all if he couldn't go on missions or do anything dangerous which was hard considering pretty much everything he did was pretty dangerous, than he might as well find a way to spoil his boyfriend.  
  
"So handsome, since I can't go in my lab, or do anything remotely fun. How about you and me have a night on the town?" Tony asked with his typical mischievous grin.  
  
"You mean you can't do anything remotely dangerous? I think a date night would be nice, it's been a while since we last went on one. How about to that restaurant Clint recommended?" Steve said softly.  
  
"We have been meaning to go there for awhile. Sounds like a plan. How about I just go hop in the shower first?" Tony said starting to feel a familiar tightness in his chest, his breathing a little bit more shallow than it was before.  
  
"Haven't you already showered earlier?" Steve asked confused. Tony had showered just before they left for the doctors, they both had.  
  
"Yes, but now I have the stink of doctors and death on me. I need to be clean again." Tony said before getting up off of Steve.  
  
"Fine, I'm going to go talk to Clint about this place then." Steve said as Tony made his way to the bathroom.  
  
When the bathroom door was closed Tony gasped and clutched his chest. He turned the hot water on and let the steam fill the room, the vapor helping him breathe again. He knew he should have mentioned this to Steve but he couldn't, Steve was already going overboard worrying about his heart he didn't need to worry about this too.  
  
Tony's lungs were pretty much gone, Afghanistan had really done a number on his body. His lungs had to have 11 percent of them removed, at the time it had been the only way to save his life. The result meant that Tony's lungs didn't always work perfectly, but he hadn't told Steve that much. He loved his boyfriend, but he already worried so much and tried to protect Tony from so much.  
  
Was it wrong of him to try and give Steve one less thing to worry about?  
  
But Tony knew it was, he was keeping a part of his health a secret from Steve. Keeping secrets had never worked out in his favor before, but he wasn't going to burden Steve with this too. He could handle his lungs alone.  
  
Steve already handled everything else Tony subjected him to. Tony just wanted to spare Steve from this one little thing. Let Steve worry about his heart, his experiments, and all the other dangerous shit Tony did. He could worry about his lungs himself.


End file.
